Backup Exec 9.0 - How does Catalog work with multiple tapes?

We have to do a restore from old tapes and the catalogs from those tapes no longer exist. There are 5 tapes with files from various servers on one set. Does the catalog process grab the first tape only or will it go thorugh all the tapes? The reason I'm asking is because 26 hours later, Backupexec is still on one tape. From our previous attempts to do this, when we higlyghted all the tapes, it would grab the same tape its run with now. Also, if I specify any other tape, it still grabs the same tape. I'm assuming this would be the tape that holds all the header information.